Student Competition in English 2012–2013. Stage III. 11th Grade

Областная олимпиада по английскому языку в 2012/2013 уч. гг.

11th Form

GRAMMAR TEST

I. Open the brackets putting the verb in the correct tense, voice and mood form.

The world 1) ____________________ (get) warmer with every decade. This might simply be part of a natural process. After all there 2) ____________________ (be) ice ages and long periods of warmth in Earth’s history. But there is a group of scientists who 3) ____________________ (believe) that the current warming 4) ____________________ (cause) by human activity. The industrial pollution of the atmosphere with certain gasses which 5) ____________________ (start) 200 years ago 6) ____________________ (transform) it into a giant glass container. The heat from the sun 7) ____________________ (trap) inside the container. This process 8) ____________________ (know) as the ‘Greenhouse Effect.’ The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 9) ____________________ (report) last month that based on the research which 10) ____________________ (carry out) the temperature 11 ) ____________________ (continue) to rise and by 2100 the difference 12) ____________________ (reach) 6°C. Fred Singer, a climate physicist said: “With the global increase of the temperature the sea level 13) ____________________ (rise) changing the shape of the continents we know. It’s high time we 14) ____________________ (take) action.»

II. Fill in the gaps with “a”, “the” or “—”.

Dear Sarah,
How have you been? My family and I have just returned from 1) _____ five-day holiday in 2) _____ Spain. It was great! We travelled by 3) _____ plane and stayed at 4) _____ Marriott. Guess what! We met 5) _____ Stephensons at the hotel, but they left soon after that. On 6) _____ first day we visited 7) _____ Prado Museum and 8) _____ number of famous sights. Of all European cities I think Madrid is 9) _____ most beautiful one. I was sure I would be able to understand 10) _____ language but most locals spoke too fast. By 12) _____ end of 13) _____ holiday we were a bit worried, because there was 14) _____ demonstration in which 15) _____ unemployed protested against social injustice. Some people were even injured and taken to 16) _____ hospital. But all in all we had 17) _____ fantastic time and wе have decided to come back here again 18) _____ next summer. Would you like to join us?

Best wishes,
Alice

III. Insert the right preposition or postposition.

1. Take my word …  it, the film is simply brilliant.
2. I’m afraid the weather has changed … the worse.
3. Did you know that Peter is married … a Swedish girl?
4. Sarah is studying so hard. She’s intent … getting a good degree.
5. Tony will never admit that he is envious … his brother.
6. Try to cut … on the amount of fatty food you eat.
7. Having lived alone for many years, she is suspicious … strangers.

IV. Use phrasal verbs in the correct form to replace underlined words.

1. I need to improve …………… my French. I learned it at school but haven’t spoken it for years.
2. Jack is so glad he could submit …………… his essay before the deadline.
3. My sister came to the airport to say goodbye …………… .
4. Don’t drink mat milk, it has become sour …………… .
5. I keep meeting …………… Harry in the canteen. Does he ever leave it?
6. She couldn’t complete …………… the form because it was in Spanish.
7. The battery loses …………… power completely after a year.
8. The police are investigating …………… the matter at the moment.

V. Use the word in bold to form a word that best fits each gap.

Archimedes was a famous ancient Greek 1) ____________________                         INVENT
and mathematician. He is best known for discovering ‘ Archimedes’s Principle,’
а 2) ____________________ law that explains why some objects                             SCIENCE
float. There are 3) ____________________ stories that tell how he made                 VARY
this discovery. One story tells of a king named Hiero who suspected
that his goldsmith had 4) ____________________ added some silver to                    HONEST
a gold crown the king had ordered. The king asked Archimedes for
his 5) ____________________ in finding out the truth. For days Archimedes             ASSIST
was 6) ____________________ to сome up with any ideas. Then one day                ABLE
while taking his bath he realised that when an object is placed in water
it spills some of it out. By taking 7) ____________________ of an object’s                MEASURE
weight and the amount of water it ruoves, Archimedes could find out
the 8) ____________________ of the object. Because of this, he could                    DENSE
conclude whether King Hiero’s crown was made 9) ____________________            ENTIRE
of gold or not. Archimedes was so excited when he realised this that
he ran out of his bath shouting ‘Eureka!’, the Greek word for ‘I have found it.’
Today, people often cry out ‘Eureka!’ to say they have found
a 10) ____________________ to a difficult problem.                                                 SOLVE

VI. Read the text below and decide which word best fits each gap.

In ancient times, only rich and powerful people 1) _____ in purple-coloured clothes. This was because purple dye was so expensive. It was produced from a certain 2) _____ of snail and was so rare and precious that for many centuries it was as valuable as gold. The dye was 3) _____ produced by the Phoenician civilization in the city of Tyre, now in modern-day Lebanon. It became 4) _____ as ‘Tyrian purple’ and its popularity 5) _____ throughout Mediterranean. Tyrian purple was very difficult to produce. In fact, more than 12,000 snails were needed to make enough dye for just one 6) _____ of clothing! First, baskets containing dead frogs were lowered into the sea in 7) _____ to tempt snails to enter. 8) _____  caught, the snails were crushed and the placed in huge bins where they were left to rot in the sun. According to a 9) _____ of ancient writers, these rotting snails 10) _____  such a bad smell that people avoided living within many miles of dye-producing areas! After some time, the liquid from the rotting snails was collected and formed into a dye that could be added to cloth. Since only the wealthiest people could afford to buy purple dye, the colour soon became 11) _____ with the upper class, especially royalty. Even today, purple is still the colour of royalty in many European countries.

1. A dressed В wore С displayed D showed
2. A class В group С brand D species
3. A basically В originally С immediately D practically
4. A named В called С known D noticed
5. A widened B spread С flowed D enlarged
6. A quantity B thing С item D portion
7. A order В respect С view D purpose
8. A Once В Soon С After D Following
9. A number В lots С plenty D many
10. A produced В supplied С delivered D arrived
11. A involved В associated С mixed D combined

VII. Rewrite each sentence in such a way that it contains the word in italics.

1. I think Steve might win the race.
THOUGH   _________________________________________________

2. There is no obligation to get an international driving licence for this country.
HAVE ___________________________________________________

3. I took a short secretarial course after finishing school.
HAVING    ________________________________________________

4. We really should go now.
WENT __________________________________________________

5. It’s a pity I can’t play the piano.
WISH ____________________________________________________

6. People will start buying their cars if they lower the prices.
UNLESS __________________________________________________

VIII. Read the text and choose the best answer A, B, C or D.

Mount Everest is cited as the highest peak in the world. However K2 (8,616 metres), the second peak in the Karakoram Mountain rang on the borders of China and Pakistan is considered to be the most challenging mountain to summit. Also known as Savage Mountain thanks to numerous failed climbing attempts, it was not until almost 100 years after it was first discovered that anybody managed to reach the summit. Of all the peaks exceeding 8,000 metres, K2 has the second highest fatality rate. On average, one in four climbers die trying to reach the summit.

The K2 peak resembles a Pyramid—a very distinctive profile which presents only very treacherous climbing options. Each slope leading to the summit rises steeply more than 3,000 metres above the glacier base. On the north and steepest side the climbing gradient can reach 73%—an almost vertical wall.

There are a number of different climbing routes on K2, all of which share the same difficulties. Firstly, the extreme high altitude means that there is one third the amount of oxygen available as at sea level. This makes movement slow and exhausting.

Also K2 suffers from extreme storms which can last for several days. These have been the cause of many deaths. The routes to the summit are steep and are very exposed to the natural elements. If thе weather changes suddenly, there is no way of finding shelter and there is no way of turning back.

Most expeditions choose to climb the south east ridge of the peak which rises above the Godwin-Austen glacier. This is known as the Abruzzi Spur, and was first attempted in 1909 by Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi. The spur begins at 5,400 m, and the climb involves crossing snow and ice fields, rock climbing two vertical faces before reaching a corridor of seracs which form an ice cliff. A serac is a big block of ice often the size of a house. Seracs are formed as a result of ice fall and are extremely unstable. Seracs were responsible for the deaths of 11 climbers in an attempt to reach the summit in August 2008.

1. What is K2?
A a series of mountains between Pakistan and China
B the highest mountain in Pakistan
C a steep slope
D a pyramid-shaped mountain

2. Why is K2 also called Savage Mountain?
A It is one of the highest mountains in the world.
B It wasn’t climbed for 100 years after discovery.
C Many climbers are not able to reach the summit.
D Most climbers die climbing it.

3. What does the pyramid shape mean for climbers?
A all access routes to the peak are steep and dangerous
B there are very many climbing options
C there is nowhere to find shelter
D you can only rock climb to get to the top

4. Why does climbing take a long time?
A because the slopes are very steep
B because there is not enough oxygen in the atmosphere
C because of the distance
D because there are always snow storms

5. What do all the climbing routes have in common?
A level of danger and distance
B number of deaths and exposure to the elements
C the same gradient and lack of shelter
D air quality and poor weather conditions

6. Why are seracs so dangerous?
A because they are as/big as houses
B because they are like an ice wall
C because they are unpredictable
D because they are very high up

Keys to Grammar Test

I.

1) is getting 2) have been 3) believe 4) has been caused 5) started 6) has transformed  has been transforming 7) is trapped  is being trapped 8) is known 9) reported 10) had been carried out 11) would continue 12) will have reached 13) will rise 14) took

II.

1) a 2) — 3) — 4) the 5) the 6) the 7) the 8) a 9) the 10) the 11) — 12) the 13) the 14) a 15) the 16) — 17) a 18) —

III.

1) for 2) for 3) to 4) on 5) of 6) down 7) of

IV.

1) brush up 2) hand in 3) see me off 4) has gone off 5) running into 6) fill in 7) runs out of 8) looking into

V.

1) inventor 2) scientific 3) various 4) dishonestly 5) assistance 6) unable measurements 8) density 9) entirely 10) solution

VI.

1) A 2) D 3) В 4) С 5) В 6) С 7) А 8) А 9) А 10) А 11) В

VII.

  1. It seems as though Steve might win the race.
  2. You don’t have to get an international driving licence for this country.
  3. Having finished school I took a short secretarial course.
  4. It’s time we went now.
  5. I wish I could play the piano.
  6. People won’t start buying their cars unless they lower the prices.

VIII. 1d, 2c, 3a, 4b, 5d, 6c

Listening Test Form 11

I. You have listened to a conversation between Mrs Cohen and a travel agent. Read the statements below carefully and decide if they are true or false (T/F).

  1. Mrs Cohen came to the agency to make a complaint.
  2. The beach was very close to the apartments.
  3. The children couldn’t swim in the sea because the water was too cold.
  4. They couldn’t use the swimming pool.
  5. They had to share the bathroom and toilet with one more family.
  6. The baby-sitting service was non-existent.
  7. It was very quiet at night.
  8. Mrs Cohen wanted to get a refund._
  9. Mrs Cohen is planning to go on her next holiday in the summer.
  10. MrsCohen has relatives in Australia.

II. You will hear a radio report about charity shops. For questions 1-10 complete the sentences. You will need to write a word or a short phrase in each gap.

  1. Goods for sale that have already been used are known as 1)______________goods.
  2. Punk rock was fashionable in the 2)__________ .
  3. Charity shops don’t buy 3)__________________ that they sell.
  4. Don’t donate anything unless it is in 4)_____________ .
  5. Most of the people who work at charity shops don’t receive any money; they are
  6. Charity shops have to pay for services such as the telephone and 6) _________
  7. They also pay rent. People who 7)_______________________ the high prices at other shops buy at charity shops.
  8. Many people who are 8)_________________ can find unusual items at charity  shops.
  9. You can be trendy for less if you visit charity shops in 9) _________________ areas of the city.
  10.  We can do something really useful for 10) ____    by reusing goods.

Текст 1

[audio:http://fortee.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Text1_form11.mp3]

—  Good afternoon, Mrs Cohen. How was your holiday?

—  I’ve come to make a complaint, actually.

—  Oh! Right. Nothing major, I hope.

—  Oh, only enough to spoil our whole holiday.

—  Just give me two seconds to get a complaint form. I’ll need it for our records.

—  Don’t bother. I’ve made a list that you can have. Firstly, the brochure claimed that the apartments were only two minutes’ walk from the beach. They were one hour more likely! When we finally got there the beach was filthy. It was covered in rubbish. The water… well, I couldn’t let the children near it!

—  But you didn’t have to go all that way to the beach. There is a luxury Olympic-size swimming pool in the apartment complex.

—  Oh, you’re right! There is! But they haven’t finished tiling it yet. The owner said it would be finished this winter for next season.

—  There must be some mistake, madam.

—  Oh, no! And that’s not all. The own-suite bathroom didn’t exist. We had to share a bathroom and toilet with two other families!

—  That’s disgusting. I do apologize.

—  As for the children’s play room, it’s non-existent. There was also no horse riding. And the baby-sitting service was far too expensive.

—  I’m so sorry, Mrs Cohen, but this is the first we’ve had such a complaint.

—  I’m not finished! To top it all, they’ve constructed a disco just over the road from the apartment block. We couldn’t sleep! It closed at 5 a.m. every morning!

—  Oh, dear.

—  Well, I want my money back!

—  Well, I’m afraid that is impossible, Mrs Cohen. It’s not company policy to refund money as compensation. What we could offer you as you are one of our regular clients is a 20 percent discount on your next holiday.

—  All right, I suppose that’s better than nothing. Anyway, we are thinking of visiting my family in Australia this Christmas and a 20 percent discount on that trip would be a large saving.

 Текст 2

[audio:http://fortee.ru/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Text2_form11.mp3]

Second-hand shops have been around for years. They offer a wide range of second-hand or ‘used’ goods. There are second-hand shops that just sell one sort of product, such as bookshops or antiques shops. There are vintage clothing shops where you can find all kinds of unusual clothes and accessories in popular styles from your favourite decade — original 50s rock’n’roll fashion, mini skirts from the 60s or the disco craze and punk rock fashions of the 70s. Whatever your taste may be, you’re sure to find something original. Another kind of second-hand shop is the charity shop. There are some important differences between this and other second­hand stores. Firstly, charity shops are operated by charity groups in order to raise money for worthy causes — they do not exist for the purpose of making money for an owner. Another difference is that charity shops mainly sell goods that have been donated by members of the public. In fact, more than 90% of items sold have been donated. You can donate anything to a charity shop — books, clothes, toys, games, appliances, furniture — the list is endless. Just make sure that what you donate is in good condition. A third difference is that the staff members at charity shops are often volunteers. These volunteers come from all walks of life. Many of them are retired but want to do something useful with their time. Some are students who want to support something they believe in. The items in charity shops are sold at very low prices because these shops don’t have to pay for the goods that they sell, and they don’t have to pay their staff for the work that they do. Of course, there are other costs such as rent, telephone and electricity, but once these are paid, all of the remaining money is used to benefit the charity. What sort of people buy goods at charity shops? All sorts! They’re very popular with pensioners and people on low incomes, that is, people who can’t afford the much higher prices charged for brand new goods in other shops. But that’s not all. Charity shops are also popular with collectors who can sometimes find rare and unusual items for sale. Some lucky collectors have paid peanuts for items that are worth much, much more! Those who want to be fashionable for less head for charity shops in expensive areas, where donations from the wealthy residents include designer clothing and accessories. Then there are the eco-warriors, who are concerned about the environment. They have very good reasons for buying second-hand goods. If you buy secondhand, fewer natural resources need to be used to make and transport new products, and it’s also a great way of recycling.

KEYS TO LISTENING COMPREHENSION  (the 11th Form)

Task I

1 T
2 F
3 F
4 T
5 F
6 F
7 F
8 T
9 T
10 T

Task 2

1 Second-hand
2 70-s
3 the goods
4 good condition
5 volunteers
6 electricity
7 can’t afford
8 collectors
9 expensive
10 environment

COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS ASSESSMENT (the 11th Form)

1. Describe a book that produced a great impression on you.
1. How many books do you have at home?
2. How do you choose the book you want to read?
3. Who is your favourite writer?
4. Do you ever read books online?

2. Describe the person who has greatly inspired you.
1. Have you ever talked to a well-known person?
2. What are the most admirable features of character in your opinion?
3. What famous public figures of Belarus do you know?
4. If you had a choice to be rich or famous, which would you choose?

3. Speak about friendship in your life.
1. Is it possible to have many true friends?
2. What is your best friend like?
3. What makes people become friends?
4. Is it possible to have no enemies?

4. Describe your life in ten years from now.
1. What advice can you give to a person who is always busy?
2. What is your greatest ambition in life?
3. What is good education in your understanding?
4. How do you usually spend your spare time?

5. Speak about the role of hobbies in people’s lives.
1. What are your friends’ hobbies?
2. What is the strangest hobby you have heard of?
3. Is it necessary to learn how to make things with your own hands?
4. Playing computer games is not a hobby, is it?

6. Describe the house or the flat where you live.
1. How does your home reflect your personality?
2. How do you help your parents with housework every day?
3. Describe the house of your dreams.
4. If your parents left you home alone for a week, what would you do?

7. Speak about the role of education in modern life.
1. Good education doesn’t guarantee success in life, does it?
2. What is the best way to find new information you need?
3. Would you prefer to study at home or abroad?
4. How can you use foreign languages in your future career?

8. Speak about the importance of healthy lifestyle.
1. What kinds of sport do you enjoy?
2. What is the best way to keep fit?
3. Do you think you could become a vegetarian?
4. What are your school dinners like?

9. Life without planning is inefficient.
1. How do you usually plan your weekday?
2. What do you do with your free time?
3. What are your household chores?
4. Do you make plans for your week-ends in advance?

10. Speak about your favourite form of art.
1. How often do you go to the theatre?
2. Are you fond of painting?
3. What kind of music do you prefer? Why?
4. Who is your favourite actor or actress?

11. How would you describe an ideal family.
1. Do you have secrets from your parents?
2. Is it better to be an only child in the family or to have brothers and sisters?
3. What is the role of the family in the life of a person?
4. What should be done to avoid misunderstanding in the family?

12. Speak about different ways in which you save time.
1. How much time do you spend playing computer games?
2. What are the most time-consuming activities for you?
3. What do you usually do in your free time?
4. How do you usually plan your day?

13. Speak about your best friend.
1. Is it possible to be friends with your parents?
2. What kind of person would you never be friends with?
3. Do you make friends easily?
4. Do you trust your first impression of a person you meet?

14. Speak about activities you like doing together with other people.
1. If you need some advice, who do you usually go to?
2. What kind of things do you prefer to do on your own?
3. Do you think mass media can make people think alike?
4. Who do you usually share your ideas with?

15. Speak about your idea of a perfect holiday.
1. Describe the worst holiday you have had.
2. Have you ever tried to change your lifestyle?
3. What is the most tiring activity for you?
4. What is the most relaxing activity for you?

16. Speak about your future career.
1. What would be the most boring and the most exciting job for you?
2. What are the most popular jobs nowadays?
3. Would you continue to work even if you had a lot of money?
4. What advice would you give people going to a job interview?

17. Speak about your main goals in life.
1. What would be important for you — money or job satisfaction
2. What is the most effective way to remember new study material?
3. What is more important for success — natural abilities or hard work?
4. What is the most challenging thing in learning English?

18. Describe a film that produced a great impression on you.
1. What films are you ready to see more than once?
2. How do you choose the film you want to see?
3. Who is your favourite actor or actress?
4. Do you think people will ever stop going to the cinema?

19. Hardships in life only make us stronger. Do you agree?
1. Do you believe in bad luck?
2. What are the three wishes you’d like to come true?
3. What is the best way to avoid difficult situations in life?
4. How would you describe a successful person?

20. You are a tour guide. Where would you take foreign tourists?
1. What places in the world would you like to visit and why?
2. Would you be able to live or to study abroad?
3. Describe your longest  journey.
4. When on holiday, do you lie on the beach or go sightseeing?

21. Speak about the ecological situation in Belarus.
1. What can be done to reduce the air pollution in big cities?
2. What do you personally do to protect the nature?
3. Why is it necessary to recycle paper, plastic and metals?
4. What do you think about eco-tourism?

22. Speak about the role of school, in your life.
1. Describe your average school day.
2. What are your favourite subjects and why?
3. What should an ideal teacher be like?
4. What will you do after you have finished school?

23. Speak about the places you would like to visit in Britain.
1. Do you like travelling alone or with companions?
2. What things do you always take with you when you travel?
3. What sights in Belarus would you show to a British tourist?
4. What mode of transport do you prefer and why?

24. Describe the best way to organize a birthday party for your friend?
1. Describe the last party you went to?
2. What family traditions do you have?
3. What kinds of dishes can you cook yourself?
4. Who do you always invite to your parties and why?

25. Speak about the role of the Internet in the modern world.
1. How often do you surf the Internet?
2. What do you use your computer for?
3. How different were the lives of people when there were no computers?
4. How do you use the Internet to learn English?

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